Man Hurt as Samsung Phone Explodes in Pants Pocket

Another Galaxy smartphone has exploded and injured its owner. Bupyeong Fire Station in Incheon on Sunday said a 55-year-old man reported the previous day that his smartphone battery blew up in the pocket of his pants.

The Galaxy S2 and battery that exploded in a schoolboy's pants pocket in Gwangju in March last year /Newsis

The man said he was carrying a Samsung Galaxy Note along with a spare battery in his pocket before they suddenly blew up. He is being treated for second-degree burns to his right thigh.

In March last year, a schoolboy in Gwangju suffered an injury when his Galaxy S2 smartphone exploded in his trouser pocket.

The latest accident has not been reported to Samsung yet, a company spokesman said. "Lithium ion batteries can catch fire due to external pressure or sudden changes in temperature, so we're trying to understand what really happened," the spokesman added.